What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On June 24, 2002, at approximately 1100 central daylight time, a American champion 8KCAB (citabria), N83DH, was substantially damaged during a ground loop on landing roll at Giddings-Lee County Airport, Giddings, Texas. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that had originated from weiser airpark, houston, Texas, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. The pilot said that he was landing on runway 17, and the airplane suddenly veered off the right side of the runway. The left main axle support structure failed, and the left main wheel separated from the airplane. The left strut dug into the ground, and the airplane came to rest on its left wing. The outer 6 feet of the left wing was bent up approximately 35 degrees, and the left side of the elevator was bent. (-23) upon landing the pilot was unable to control aircraft on rollout. Aircraft skidded 30 degrees to the right, left main wheel was side loaded to t he point of failure. At that time the left main wheel separated from the aircraft. After the wheel separated from the aircraft, the landing gear strut dug into the asphalt, then the aircraft turned clockwise 180 degrees with little or no forward movement. During rotation the aircraft struck the ground with the left elevator, bending the elevator up under the horizontal stabilizer. The left wing contacted the ground and was bent upward at about a 35 to 40 degree angle, bending from the strut attach points. The aircraft came to rest, upright, on a heading of approximately 350 degrees. (.4) on June 24, 2002, at approximately 1100 central daylight time, a American champion 8KCAB (decathlon), N83DH, was substantially damaged during a ground loop on landing roll at Giddings-Lee County Airport, Giddings, Texas. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that had originated from weiser airpark, houston, Texas, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. The pilot said that he WA s landing on runway 17, and the airplane suddenly veered "hard" to the right and exited the runway. The left main axle support structure failed, and the left main wheel separated from the airplane. The left strut dug into the ground, and the airplane came to rest on its left wing. The outer 6 feet of the left wing was bent up approximately 35 degrees, and the left side of the elevator was bent. The pilot estimated the wind, at the time of the accident, to be 240 degrees at 3 to 5 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JUNE 24, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A AMERICAN CHAMPION 8KCAB (CITABRIA), N83DH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A GROUND LOOP ON LANDING ROLL AT GIDDINGS-LEE COUNTY AIRPORT, GIDDINGS, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED FROM WEISER AIRPARK, HOUSTON, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 17, AND THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN AXLE SUPPORT STRUCTURE FAILED, AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT STRUT DUG INTO THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT WING. THE OUTER 6 FEET OF THE LEFT WING WAS BENT UP APPROXIMATELY 35 DEGREES, AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ELEVATOR WAS BENT. (-23) UPON LANDING THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT ON ROLLOUT. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED 30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, LEFT MAIN WHEEL WAS SIDE LOADED TO T HE POINT OF FAILURE. AT THAT TIME THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, THE LANDING GEAR STRUT DUG INTO THE ASPHALT, THEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED CLOCKWISE 180 DEGREES WITH LITTLE OR NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. DURING ROTATION THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT ELEVATOR, BENDING THE ELEVATOR UP UNDER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND WAS BENT UPWARD AT ABOUT A 35 TO 40 DEGREE ANGLE, BENDING FROM THE STRUT ATTACH POINTS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, UPRIGHT, ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 350 DEGREES. (.4) ON JUNE 24, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A AMERICAN CHAMPION 8KCAB (DECATHLON), N83DH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A GROUND LOOP ON LANDING ROLL AT GIDDINGS-LEE COUNTY AIRPORT, GIDDINGS, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED FROM WEISER AIRPARK, HOUSTON, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WA S LANDING ON RUNWAY 17, AND THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY VEERED "HARD" TO THE RIGHT AND EXITED THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN AXLE SUPPORT STRUCTURE FAILED, AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT STRUT DUG INTO THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT WING. THE OUTER 6 FEET OF THE LEFT WING WAS BENT UP APPROXIMATELY 35 DEGREES, AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ELEVATOR WAS BENT. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE WIND, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, TO BE 240 DEGREES AT 3 TO 5 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N83DH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.